The Efficacy of Transarterial Chemoembolization plus Apatinib or Sorafenib in the Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib (TACE-S) or apatinib (TACE-A) is used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, to date, no study has compared the efficacy and safety of both treatments. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of patients with advanced HCC who received either TACE-S or TACE-A. METHODS: 193 patients with advanced HCC were included in the study between June 2015 and December 2019. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used in the study to reduce selection bias. RESULTS: Before PSM, the median overall survival (mOS) and median progression-free survival (mPFS) of patients treated with TACE-S were not significantly longer than in patients treated with TACE-A (P=0.703, P=0.514). TACE-A did not increase the mortality risk compared with TACE-S in the first 12 months (HR: 1.255, 95%CI: 0.796–1.978, P=0.329) or after the 12-month mark (HR: 0.832, 95%CI: 0.482–1.436, p=0.508). Similarly, TACE-A did not increase the tumor recurrence risk relative to TACE-S in the first 12 months (HR: 1.054, 95%CI: 0.744–1.493, P=0.767) or after the 12-month mark (HR: 1.730, 95%CI: 0.592–5.049, P=0.316). The subgroups analysis showed that TACE-A did not increase mortality risk or tumor recurrence risk relative to TACE-S. After PSM, similar results were presented. The III and IV stage adverse events in the TACE-A group were similar to those in the TACE-S group before PSM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma could get similar survival benefits from treatment with either transarterial chemoembolization plus apatinib or transarterial chemoembolization plus sorafenib.